Car-coupling.



M. A. BROWN.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 1913.

1,127,584. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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WITNESSES ATTO R N EY M. A. BROWN. GAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 1913.

1,127,584. Patented Feb.9, 1915.

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MARK A. BROWN, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

CAR-COUPLING.

Application filed August 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MARK A. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car couplings, and to provide a simple, efficient and comparatively inexpensive car coupling designed to meet all the requirements of th Master Car Builders Association and the Interstate Commerce Commission, and capable of coupling automatically and of being readily uncoupled without going between cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car coupling having a ball hearing locking knuckle and provided also with an inclined supporting surface receiving the balls of the bearing and adapted to enable the same to overcome the frictional resist ance to the opening movement of the knuckle, whereby a positive automatically opening gravity acting knuckle is produced adapted to open completely after the car coupling has been set for automatic coupling and the cars have been separated and the knuckle is free to open.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a freely slidable lock set adapted to hold the knuckle locking means out of engageinent with the knuckle, and capable of being readily actuated by the knuckle in its closing movement to release the knuckle locking means and permit the same to engage the knuckle.

Furthermore, it is the object of the invention to provide a ball bearing laterally shiftable car coupling and to construct and arran e the operating device of the knuckle locking means so that such device may be employed for laterally adjusting the car coupling from the side of the car to position the car coupling properly for automatic coupling without going between the cars.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically unlocking the knuckle should the draw head become disconnected from the draft rigging.

With these and other objects in view, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 785,430.

invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car coupling, constructed in accordance with this invention, and equipped with an air brake coupling or connector and coupled with an ordinary pivoted knuckle car coupling having a circular air brake coupling or connector. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the improved car coupling. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4% of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view, taken longitudinally of the ball bearing of the pivoted knuckle. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View on the line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective View of the lock set. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the knuckle engaging or locking arm. Fig. 11 is a detail view, illustrating the construction of the depending bearing flanges of the car coupling,

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a draw head provided with a draw bar 2 having an oppositely inclined bottom face 3, extending. downwardly and inwardly from the side faces of the draw bar to the center thereof and arranged upon a seat formed by a ball bearing plate l mounted within a carrier iron 5. The carrier iron 5 which is suitably secured to the timber or framework of the car, is preferably composed of spaced vertical sides and a straight transversely disposed bottom connecting portion 6, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawirgs. The ball bearing plate, which has a flat horizontal lower face 7, is fitted against the upper face of the bottom 6 of the carrier iron and extends entirely across the same and is provided at the side edges of the said bottom portion 6 with depending flanges 8, which form a bottom recess to receive the bottom portion 6 of the carrier iron, whereby the ball bearing plate at is interlocked therewith. The bearing plate is maintained firmly in interlocked relation with the carrier iron by the weight of the car coupling, it being unnecessary to provide fastening devices for securing the bearing plate to the carrier iron. 'lhe upper face 9 of the ball bearing plate, which is oppositely inclined to conform to the configuration of the oppositely inclined bottom faces 3 of the draw bar, is provided with ball receiving grooves 10 of substantially cylindrical form and separated at their inner ends by a central wall 11, which forms a stop for antifriction balls 12. The ball receiving grooves 10, which extend from the central wall to the ends of the bearing plate 4, partially embrace the greater portion of the antifriction balls, which project slightly above the inclined upper face 9 to form a rolling ball bearing support for the draw bar. The antifriction balls are retained in the grooves 10 by the oppositely curved walls thereof and also by the carrier iron, the sides of which close the outer ends of the grooves when the parts are assembled. The oppositely inclined series of antifriction balls are adapted to center the car coupling, and they also enable the same to be easily shifted by a transverse knuckle unlocking shaft 13 for arranging the car coupling in proper position for automatic coupling.

No claim is made in the present application to the ball bearing support for the draw bar, as this forms the subject-matter of a copending application, filed Nov. 10, 1913, Serial NO. 800,193.

Thedraw head, which is entirely closed at thetop and sides for excluding dust, water, snow and other accumulation, has a knuckle 1th pivoted to it at one side by a knuckle pin 15. The draw head is provided at the bottom with an inclined face 16 disposed transversely and located in rear of the knuckle pin 15 and receiving antifriction balls 17. The antifriction balls, which may be of any desired number, are arranged in a groove or bore 18 of cylindrical form intersected by the bottom face of the knuckle. The groove 18, which is slightly curved, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, embraces the major portion of the opposite faces of the antifriction balls, which project slightly below the bottom face of the knuckle and rest upon the inclined face 16 of the bottom of the draw head. The groove 18 extends to the outer side face of the knuckle and the balls are retained in the groove by means of a screw plug 19 engaging interior threads 20 at the outer end of the said groove 18. The angle of repose of the knuckle assisted by the ball bearing is sutlicient to overcome the coefficient of friction and produce a positive automatic opening of the knuckle. The automatic gravity action is positive in completely opening the knuckle when the knuckle locking means is supported in an elevated position by a lock set 21, and it is unnecessary to provide operating means for kicking the knuckle open in order to insure afull and complete movement of the same. The antifriction balls 1'? are also adapted to ride readily up the inclined face 16 of the bottom of the draw head and to enable the pivoted knuckle to close freely.

The knuckle 14 is provided with an inwardly and rearwardly extending arm 22, which is approximately L-shaped to enable it to interlock with an interior shoulder :23 of the adjacent side of the draw head when the knuckle is closed. When the knuckle is closed, the arm 22 is engaged by an approximately L-shaped locking arm 24; arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly out of and into engagement with the arm of the knuckle, and consisting of a forwardly or outwardly extending attaching portion, which is provided with an opening 25 to receive the shaft 13. The forwardly. or outwardly extending portion of the locking arm is adapted to rest upon the bottom of the draw head when the knuckle is closed, and

it presents a flat side face to the arm of the knuckle and it is adapted to swing upwardly and rearwardly to the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 3 for releasing the knuckle. When the locking arm is manually operated to swing it out of engagement with the knuckle, it is carried upwardly a sufficient distance to permit the lock set 21 to move out of a recess 26 into the path of the locking arm to its supporting position. The outer side face and lower edge of the locking arm are rounded at 27 to permit the knuckle in its closing movement to engage and lift the locking arm sufliciently to pass the engaging portion thereof, which auto matically drops into engagement with the arm of the knuckle and locks the latter in its closed position. The lock set when in its supporting position extends into the path of the arm of the knuckle so that the knuckle in openingmoves the lock set backwardly from the locking arm, which drops slightly and rests upon the arm of the knuckle, and the latter in its closing movement does not lift the locking arm sufficiently to permit the lock set to move beneath the same and interfere with the complete downward locking movement thereof. The lock set 21 consists substantially of an oblong block rounded at the front edge at 28 and provided at the rear edge with a lug 29 operating in. a

branch or extension 30 of the recess 26 and offset from the inner supporting end of the lock set and adapted to permit theinner supporting end of the lock set to extend beneath the engaging portion of the locking arm before the said lug 29 comes in contact with the same and checks such downward and inward movement of the lock set. The recess 26 inclines downwardly. and inwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and the lock set slides downwardly and inwardly by gravity to its supporting position when the engaging portion of the locking arm is lifted clear of the inner end of the lock set.

The opening 25 is rectangular, and the shaft 13, which is preferably square, extends through the said opening 25 and is supported in bearing openings 31 of spaced flanges 32, formed integral with and depending from the lower face of the bottom of the draw head and extending rearwardly from the front or outer end of the same. The bottom of the draw head is provided with a slot 33 through which the lower portion of the locking arm extends; the draw head is also provided with a depending transversely disposed stop flange 34, located at the front end of the slot 33 and projecting from the inner face of one of the bearing or supporting flanges 32. The opening 25 is located at a point intermediate of the top and bottom of the locking arm, which pro jects below the transverse operating shaft 13, and the flange 31, which is arranged in advance of the said shaft 13, forms a stop for and is adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the locking arm to limit the upward swing thereof when the said locking arm is lifted by the arm of the knuckle. This prevents the locking arm from being thrown upwardly by the knuckle a sufficient distance to release the lock set and permit the same to move, to its supporting position.

7 hen, however, it is desired to arrange the parts for automatic uncoupling, the shaft 13 is manually rotated and the openings 31, which are elongated and arranged at an inclination, permit the lower end of the locking arm, which is rounded, to fulcrum against the stop flange 31 and force the shaft 13 upwardly and rearwardly from the lower ends of the openings to elevate the engaging portion of the locking arm to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. This permits the locking arm to be moved clear of the inner supporting portion of the lock set. The shaft is provided at opposite sides of the draw head with set collars 35 to prevent the longitudinal movement of the shaft, and the latter is equipped at its ends with suitable crank handles 36 provided at their shanks or attaching portions with sockets 37, which are keyed or otherwise. se-

55 cured to the endsof the shaft.

The handles or operating arms 36 ofthe:

adapted when the car coupling is used on a freight car to be connected by a safety chain 39 with the end sill to or other portion of the car, whereby the chain will be tightened and the operating shaft 13 will be partially rotated and the knuckle unlocked should the draw head become disconnected from the draft rigging or other fastening means.

This will prevent the draw bar from pulling out and falling upon the track. When, however, the car coupling is mounted 011 a coach or other car of a passenger train, the arm 38 is connected by a chain with a platform unlocking lever, and it then performs the double function of a safety device and a connection between the shaft and the said lever. This construction will enable the car coupling to be unlocked by the said lever and will also automatically unlock the knuckle should the car coupling become disconnected from its fastening means. The supporting flanges 32 are also adapted to have secured to them by bolts 41 or other suitable fastening devices a bracket 42, which supports the rear portion of one of the members as of an air brake coupling or connector, constructed substantially the same as that shown and described in an application filed by me on or about the 6th day of April, 1910, Serial No. 553,726. The supporting bracket 42 is provided at the top with spaced attaching portions 44, which are r approximately L-shaped forming horizontal flanges 45, which extend laterally from the attaching portions 44. at the upper end of the bracket. The upper end of the bracket is adapted to straddle the supporting flanges 32 and the bolts pierce the attaching portions and the said flanges when the bracket a2 is applied to the improved car coupling. The horizontal flanges 4-5 enable the bracket to be secured to the shank or draw bar 46 of an ordinary car coupling 47 by a U-bolt 48, as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The. spaced attaching portions 44- of the supporting bracket are provided at their inner faces with recesses 49 to receive the bottom portion of the shank or draw bar a6, which fits between the attaching flanges 4-5 to enable the supporting bracket to be firmly and securely fastened to the said draw bar. of approximately vertical upper and lower portions and an inclined intermediate portion, which offsets the lower portion from the transverse vertical plane of the upper portion. By this construction, the support- The supporting bracket consists ing bracket is adapted to be reversed to arrange its upper attaching portion at the outer or inner portion of a car coupling without changing the position of the lower end in which the member 43 0f the car coupling or connector is mounted. In Fig. 1 of the drawings at the right hand side, the bracket 42 is shown applied to the improved car coupling and the upper attaching-portion of the car coupling is located in rear of the lower supporting portion of the said bracket. At the left hand side of Fig. l of the drawings, the supporting bracket is shown applied to the ordinary car coupling 47 and the upper attaching portion of the bracket 42 is located in rear of the lower supporting portion, the lower portions of \Y the supporting brackets of the two car conplings being located substantially equi-distant from the vertical plane of the meeting faces of the members of the air brake coupling or connector.

The outer portion of the member 43 of the air brake coupling or connector is supported by side chains 50, secured at their upper ends to the shank or draw bar of the car coupling by a U-bolt 51 or other suitable means and extending downwardly and out- Wardly and having their lower ends linked into openings of lugs 52 formed integral with the said member d3 of the air brake coupling or connector. The chains 50 are adapted to support the members of the air brake coupling or connector in a horizontal position for autcmatic coupling, and in practice the chains 50 will have suflicient slack to permit a downward play of the air brake coupling or connector of about four inches from their normal horizontal position. This willbe sutlicient to permit the air brake cou- .pling or connector to yield to the various movements of a train in motion and will also enable the chains to operate as stay chains and cause a positive separation of the members of the air brake coupling or connector should a car leave the rails as there will be a drop of from siX to eight inches at least under such conditions.

No claim is made in the present application to the extension bracket for supporting the air brake coupling or connector, as this forms the subject-matter of a copending application, filed Nov. 10, 1913, Serial No. 800,192.

What is claimed is 1. A car coupling including a draw head having an inclined face, a knuckle pivoted to the draw head and provided with a bore intersected by the lower face of the knuckle, an antifricti on ball mounted in the bore and projecting beyond the lower face of the knuckle, and arranged to run on the inclined face of the draw head, and the walls inclined face of the draw head, and the walls of the bore embracing-the major portion of the ball, whereby the same is confined in the bore and is carried by the knuckle.

2. A car coupling including a draw head having an inclined face, a knuckle pivoted to the draw head and provided with an approximately cylindrical bore having an outer threaded portion and intersected by the lower face of the knuckle, an antifriction ball mounted in the said bore and carried by the knuckle, said ball projecting beyond the lower face of the knuckle, and arranged to run on the inclined face of the draw head, and a screw plug engaging the threads of the bore and confining the ball within the same.

3. The combination with a draw head having a draw bar, a pivoted knuckle mounted on the draw head. and a locking device for the knuckle including a transverse shaft, of means for mounting the draw bar and for normally centering the draw head and for also permitting the draw head to be moved laterally in either direction to arrange the knuckle opposite the knuckle of a companion car coupling, said shaft projecting beyond the draw head and forming a handle for moving the same laterally.

4. A car coupling including a draw head, a pivoted locking device arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly and adapted to lock the knuckle in its closed position, and a gravity acting'lock set consisting of a block slidable bodily on the draw head in a direction laterally thereof and abutting against the side face of the locking block when the knuckle is closed, said block being movable inwardly automatically beneath the locking device and adapted to support the same in an elevated position when the said locking device is raised.

5. A car coupling including a draw head,

a pivoted knuckle, a pivotally mounted looking arm arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly into and out of engagement with the knuckle, and a sliglably mounted lock set movable laterally of the draw head into and out of the path of the locking arm and provided with a projecting lug arranged to engage the locking arm to limit the move ment of the lock set.

6. A car coupling including a draw head having a transverse recess arranged at an inclination, a pivoted knuckle, a locking arm arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly into and out of engagement with the knuckle, and a lock set having an inclined bottom face and slidable in the said recess in a direction laterally of the draw head and provided at a point intermediate of its ends with. a lug arranged to limit the sliding movement of the lock set.

7. A car coupling including a draw head having an enlarged bearing opening, a pivoted knuckle, a shaft mounted in the bearing opening and provided with an arm arranged to engage the knuckle and adapted to be lifted by the same in the closing move ment thereof, an automatic lock set movable into and out of the path of the locking arm, means for manually operating the said shaft, and means located in the path of the arm for automatically sliding the shaft upwardly in the enlarged bearing opening to carry the locking arm beyond the lock set.

S. A car coupling including a draw head, a pivoted knuckle, a locking arm arranged to engage the knuckle and adapted to be lifted by the same in the closing movement thereof, a lock set movable into and out of the path of the locking arm, means for limiting the movement of the locking arm when actuated by the knuckle to prevent the looking arm from moving beyond the lock set, whereby the latter is held out of the path of the locking arm, and manually operable means connected with the locking arm and arranged to carry the same beyond the lock set to permit the latter to move to its supporting position.

9. A car coupling including a draw head provided with an inclined bearing opening, a pivoted knuckle, a shaft mounted in the said bearing opening, a locking arm mounted on the shaft and arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly into and out of engagement with the knuckle and adapted to be lifted by the latter in the closing move ment thereof, said locking arm having a projecting portion, an automatic lock set movable into and out of the path of the locking arm, a stop located in the path of the said projecting portion of the locking arm for limiting the swing of the same when actuated by the knuckle, and manually operable means for operating the shaft, whereby the projecting portion of the locking arm is caused to fulcrum against the said stop to carry the locking arm beyond the lock set.

10. A car coupling including a draw head provided at the bottom with :2. depending bearing having an inclined opening, a pivoted knuckle, a shaft mounted in the said inclined bearing opening, a locking arm arranged to engage the knuckle and extending through the bottom of the draw head and mounted on the said shaft and projecting below the same, said locking arm being adapted to be lifted by the knuckle in the closing movement thereof, an automatic lock set, and a stop arranged in the path of the lower projecting portion and adapted to limit the movement of the locking arm when the same is actuated by the knuckle and forming a fulcrum for the projecting portion of the locking arm and permitting the same to be swung beyond the lock set.

11. A car coupling including a draw head provided at the bottom with spaced depending flanges having enlarged bearing openings, a shaft mounted in the said openings, a knuckle pivoted to the car coupling, a locking arm mounted on the said shaft and having a projecting portion, said locking arm being arranged to engage the knuckle and adapted to be lifted by the same in the closing movement thereof, a stop flange located in advance of the bearing openings and arranged in the path of the projecting portion of the locking arm to limit the opening movement thereof when actuated by the knuckle, and means for operating the shaft to cause the projecting portion of the locking arm to fulcrum on the stop flange, whereby the locking arm is swung beyond the lock set.

12. A car coupling including a draw head having a laterally inclined face, a pivoted knuckle, a pivotally mounted locking device arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly and adapted to engage and release the knuckle, and a lock set consisting of a block having an inclined lower face and arranged unon the inclined face of the draw head. said block being slidable bodilv in a direction laterally of the draw head and abutting against the side face of the locking device when the knuckle is closed, said block being also movable inwardly automatically beneath the locking device and adapted to support the locking arm in an elevated posltion when the said locking device is ralsed.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARK A. BROWN.

Witnesses JOHN H. Srscnns, DAVID R. WAGNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

